Rotating packing machine for the filling of granular or mealy materials into valve bags



June 23, 1964 w, BAHR ETAL 3,138,217

ROTATING PACKING MACHINE FOR THE FILLING OF GRANULAR OR MEALY MATERIALS INTO VALVE BAGS Filed May 15, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 23, 1964 w. BAHR ETAL 3,138,217

ROTATING PACKING MACHINE FOR THE FILLING OF GRANULAR 0R MEALY MATERIALS INTO VALVE BAGS Filed May 15 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR June 23, 1964 w R ETAL 3,138,217

ROTATING PACKING MACHINE FOR THE FILLING OF GRANULAR OR MEALY MATERIALS INTO VALVE BAGS Flled May 15, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 the way to the individual filling funnels by United States Patent ROTATENG PACKING MACHINE FOR THE FILL- ENG 0F GRANULAR GR MEALY i S INTO VALVE BAGS Wilhelm an, Gnetersioh, Westphalia, and Alfred Binder and Paul Schwahe, Gelde, Westphalia, Germany, as-

signors to Haves. dz Beecher, ()elde, Westphalia, Ger

many, a private corporation of Germany Filed May 15, 1961, Ser. No. 128,6ti6 12 Claims. ((31.177-58) The inventionrefers to a rotating packing machine for the filling of granular or mealy materials into valve bags, in which several filling stations with corresponding scales are arranged, which through rotation of the machine, are

led past the service operator.

An object of the invention is to provide a rotating packing machine which, with great packing capacity, fine weight precision and small air content in the filling material, automatically effects thefilling, weighing, and delivery of the filled bags,

The great packing capacity is obtained through the use of mechanical conveyor means, for example, tillerthe corresponding scale. Hitherto it has not been possible a to use high capacity mechanical conveyor means in rotating packing machines. i g

In accordance with this invention weight accuracy is attained by means to close the pipe instantlyafter the bag has reached its proper charge so that the after-flow of filler material is kept extremely small.

- The air content of the filled-01f materials in the bags is kept to a minimum by compacting the filler material on means of mechanical vibration devices.

A further characteristic of the invention is that the dust development in the working chamber is kept to a 'minimum by novel suction device. In this manner losses of filler material and soiling of the delivered bags is held within very narrow limits and health-impairing effects of dust on the service operators is avoided.

Still a further characteristic of the invention is that only such'bags are delivered from the machine that actually have reached their filler-Weight, while the incompletely filled bags are retained by themachine and are inthe next passage automatically filled-up to the standard weight. Further advantages and details of the packing machine in accordance with the invention are shown in the following description, in connection with the drawings in which: FIG; 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through a packing machine constructed in accordance with the invention. 7 I 7 FIG. '2 is a schematic view illustrating the cooperation of the stationarily positioned guide rails with .the rollers provided at the rotating machine part. FIG. 3 shows the position of the scale-beam in action together with a damping device and an accelerating falling weight. i

FIG. 4 is a view tion weight at top dead center and the damper about to bereleased to accelerate the beam.

FIG. 5 isa view similar 'to FIGS. 3 and 4 with the accelerating weight and damper .cooperating to tip the scale beam.

FIG. 6 showsithe switching .scheme the electrical control device, and

similar to FIG. 3 showing the accelera- 1 is guided by the parallel links 23 and 24.

Patented June 23, 1964 FIG. 7 shows anenlarged representation of a filling position corresponding to the right half of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawing, a rotating packing hopper 1 is provided with radial arm members 2, at whose under side a track 3 is rigidly attached. This track 3 is supported on several rollers 4, distributed about the circumference of which one is driven by a motor 5 stationarily positioned through a regulable, broad V-belt-drive 6, a reduction gear 7 and two bevel gears 8 and 9. Bearings 16 center the rotating ring 3. The hopper 1 is sub divided radially into a number of shafts 11 corresponding to the number of the filling stations which, in the space 12, at the upper end of the hopper 1 communicate with one another. The lower part of each shaft 11 is developed as a tunnel 13, in which is positioned a rotary vane type feeding mechanism rotated by means of a motor 15connected thereto by a V-belt 16.

The packing capacity increasing feeder 14 is adjacent filling position (left half of FIG. 1) stands closely adjacent a filler pipe 13. For this purpose the bag carriage 19 to which the filler pipe 18 is rigidly attached is connected by a rod 20 with'a scale-beam arm 21 of a beam-scale 22 positioned overhead and its motion is responsive and perpendicular to the movements of the scale-beam through parallel links 23 and 24. Each of the parallel links is pivoted at one end to the bar carriage 19 and at the other end to a depending arm 24a, which is fixedly secured to the hopper 1. A frictionless pivot connection asis shown in FIG. 7 is preferred. These vertical movements are limited through two stops 25 and 26, likewise attached at the bag carriage 19, which catch in the lower and upper limit position of the scale-beam arm 21 in a'ring 27' rigidly attached to the rotating packing hopper 1. Through the parallel-link connection is assured an exact sliding movement of the tiller pipe 18 and the bag carriage 19 and valve plate 28, adjacent the outlet 17 of the filling funnel 13, so that the filler material put under high pressure by the feeder 14 may not escape into the exterior of this machine. In operation of the machine, the plate is disposed in the upward position for communication of the filler pipe 18 with the inside of the hopper containing the material to be packaged, and is disposed in the downward position (shown in FIG. 7) to seal the outlet 17,,

preventing discharge of the material from the hopper. Movement of the valve from the one position to the other It will be observed that the upper parallel link 24 is at all times during operation under traction whereas the lower parallel link 23 is at all times during operation in compression. As the valve moves from the open position to the closed position, its path deviates somewhat from strict parallelism with the vertical direction since it is moved over a slightly arcuate course due to the fact that movement of the valve plate 28 is controlled by the links 23 and 24, and these links turn as radii of-a circle about the points at which they are pivoted at the inwardly disposed ends thereof. This slight arcuate movement causes the valve plate 28 to move outwardly from the outlet 17 upon initial movement as the valve moves from the open to the closed position. This movement away from the outlet 'is. desirable for the reason that it releases the valve plate 23 from frictionalengagement with the outlet 17, so that the operation of the valve is more accurate in its response to the operation of the weighing scales 2. Any material tending to escape from the outlet upon the closing of the valve plate 23 by reason of the radially outward move- I ment of the valve plate from the outlet 17 is drawn into duct67 (FIG. 1), which is maintained under suction, as is more fully described hereinafter. 7

Above filler pipe 18 is'attached a-ba g-holder 29 with a roller 30, positioned at'pivot 29a on the bag-carriage 19, while the bag-carriage 19 carries at its lower end a seat 32, tiltable outwardly on a pivot 31, with two side guide plates 33, which serve to maintain the bag in upright condition during the filling operation.

To the tilting'seat 32 is rigidly connected a cam bar 34, at whose lower end is provided a roller 35. The dead weight of the seat 32 holds it in the upright position shown on the left-hand side of FIG. 1, and the roller 35 is actuated by the cam guide 89 to provide the tilting action of the seat 32, as is indicated on the right side of FIG. 1, and as is explained in more detail later with reference to FIG. 2. Rollers 30 and 35 engage during the rotation of the packing hopper 1, with stationary curved cam guides 88 and 89 and effect in this manner the release of the bag as well as the tipping of the tilting seat 32, which is described in detail below. The proper weight of the bag and its contents is essentially determined by the weight 37 carried by a weight arm 36 of the beam-scale 22. The beam-scales 22 are attached at the arms and rotate with hopper 1.

For accuracy of filling, the after-flow of the filler material into the. bag when the scale-beam arm 21 moves downward must be kept small.

In accordance with the invention this is accomplished by means released by beam scale 22 to considerably accelerate the downward movement of the scale-beam arm 21 into its lower limit position. For such acceleration of the downward movement, the scale-beam arm 21 is actuated by a fall weight 40 attached at the scale beam arm 21 by means of a bell crank 38 pivoted at 39. The outlet 17'of the filling funnel 13 is thus instantaneously closed through the plate 28 solidly mounted on the carriage 19 so that no excess filler material may get into the valve bag.

A valve bag is a bag closed at the top, but having at the top a lateral opening permitting introduction of material into the bag, and further, permitting the insertion therein of a pipe through which filler material can be introduced into the bag.

The crank 38 engages with a cylindrical bolt 41, in a channel 42 (FIGS. 3-5) on the scale-beam arm 21 and in filling position is swung out beyond the perpendicular by a few degrees, and abuts at an adjustable stop 43 (see FIG. 3)likewise mounted on arm 2. As soon as the weight of the bag and its contents reaches the predetermined value, scale beam 21 passes the horizontal and the upper flange 44 of channel 42 depresses bell crank 38 and overturns weight 40 beyond top dead center whereupon bolt 41 strikes against the lowerfiange 45 of channel 42 and positively presses the beam 21 to its lower limit position (see FIG. 5).

' A dash-pot device is provided at the weight sideof the beam scale 21 which consists of a cylinder 46 partly filled with oil, and a piston 47, which has a longitudinal bore hole 48 and a transverse bore hole 49 communicating therewith. The piston rod 50 is provided with a cap 56, encircling cylinder 46 and carries a spring plate 52 for coil spring 53. The piston rod projects from the cylinder head 54 of the cylinder 46. The cap 56, appropriately consisting of elastic material, acts together with an arm 57 of thescale-beam arm 36 in such a manner that as the carriage 19 rises, i.e. as the scale-beam arm 36 goes down, the piston rod is depressed (see FIG. 3). Thereupon the spring 53 is compressedand the oil from the chamber 58, below piston 47, is displaced through channels 48 and 49 into the chamber 59 above the piston 47. In this manner, the upward movement of the bag carriage 19 is cushioned by damping. As may be seen from FIG. 4, the pressure of the piston rod 50 against the flange 57 is briefly discontinued at the passage of the scale beam through the horizontal by an arresting latch 61, pivoted at 60 on the flange 2,

which engages inverted cup- 55 and stops the upward movement of the piston rod 50. Only when the predetermined weight of the bag has been reached and scale arm 36 moves further upward, is the latch 61 withdrawn from inverted cup 55 through a pin 62 attached at the weight arm 36, so that at the moment that weight 40 tips over, the piston rod 50 unlocks and snaps upward under the pressure of coil spring 53 under the arm 57 and thus supplements the eifect of the falling weight 40 (see FIG. 5). Due to the quick downward movement of the scale beam 21, the filler pipe 18 is instantly closed and an extraordinarily high weight precision of the filled off bags obtained.

In order to reduce to a minimum the air content of the material in the filled bags, there is provided at each of shafts 11 a separate compacter 63, which consists of large number of parallel and perpendicularly positioned plates 64, horibontally vibrated as arunit and in unison by the alternating-current swinging magnet 65. Thus, the filler material is divided into separated streams and the included air can escape upward as the vibration continues. The vibrator compactors are flexibly mounted on elastic discs 66 on walls of the hopper 1.

In order to keep down the dust in the working chamber within narrow limits, a dust removal duct 67 is provided for each filling position. The upper end of each duct 67 is positioned approximate to its outlet 17, while the lower end is attached at a conical plate 68 and penetrates the plate surface to communicate with the underside of the plate. By reason of the approximate disposition of the upper end with the neighborhood of the outlet 17, by applying suction to the duct, dust present in the area of the outlet 17 is withdrawn to within the duct and carried away. At the under side of this plate 68 is attached an air-separating hood 69. The dust removal duct 67 and the plate 68 with the hood 69 turns with hopper 1. Below conical plate 68 is provided for the withdrawn dust, at a small distance from plate 68, a stationary receiver and dust remover having a funnel 70, into which the air suction pipe 71 projects into hood 69.. The suction pipe 71 is connected with a low-pressure suction source (not shown) and sucks off the dust proremoval ducts 67. Because of the decrease of the flow velocity upon entrance into the'funnel and the change in direction of air flow into hood 69, the dust becomes separated and deposits in the lower part of the receiver funnel 70. Automatically, the weight-loaded pendulum cap 72 opens when a suflicient quantity of the filler material has collected while the air takes the path indicated by the arrows. c

The filler material arrives from a source (not shown) leading to two bins 73, having controlling slides 74 and through the lock cell sluices '75 and the common chute 76 into the upper chamber 12 of the hopper 1 and distributes itself into the shafts 11 assigned to the individual filling stations. Suitable drive motors (not shown) of the cell sluices are controlled by a level indicator (not shown), so that in the bunker or hopper is maintained a substantially constant filler material level. On the way to the filling funnels 13, the filler material must pass the vibrator devices 63, wherein the by far largest part of the air entrained by the filler material escapes upward. The bins 73 do not rotate with the hopper 1.

The packing machine in accordance with the invention works in the following manner:

After switching on of the drive motor 5, the operator positions himself at 77 (FIG. 2). The bag carriers moving past him are in the arrested lower end position. Upon putting an empty bag 78 onto the filler pipe 18, the bag holder 29 is raised. After the operator lets loose of the valve bag78, the bag holder 29 attaches itself to the valve bag and clamps the bag 78 fast on the filler pipe 18. The bag holder 29 engages the bag and clamps the bag fast on the filler pipe 18 by its own weight.

The plate 28, which carries the filler pipe 18, is held in the down position shown in FIG. 7, at the position 77 (FIG. 2) by the flange 84 which by its dead weight rests 84a being fixedly and contact 81 completes the circuit of a magnet 83 (FIGS. 6 and 7). Thereupon the latch 84, holding the carriage 19, is pulled out of the locking position and the carriage 19 is released and moves upward because of the pull of the weight arm 36 loaded with the weight 37. The scale beam moves from the position shown in FIG. into that shown in FIG. 3. This movement is damped by p the damping-device comprising cylinders 46 and piston 50 while simultaneously the tilting weight 40 is set up. In

the upper limit position the cone 25 engages the ring 27.

With the operation of the switch 79 is simultaneously actuated, through the contact 82, a relay 86, which starts motor by means of closing of switch contacts 87,

thus actuating the charging feeder 14, which starts the filling process. The filler material is passed through outlet 17 and filler pipe 18 into the valve bag 78.

As the carriage 19 goes into the'upright position, the

switch 85 (FIGS. 6 and 7) isclosed by rod 20 so that the relay's86 maintains the contact 87a to hold relay 86 when the operator releases the switch 79; and relay 80 releases.- I

When, in further turning of the hopper 1; the filled Weight of thebag 78 approaches the predetermined weight,

the scale beam arm 21 passes over from the position shown in FIG. 3 into that shown in FIG. 5 wherein the weight 40 and the damping device accelerate the down ward movement of the'carriage 19 in the manner de- FIG. 2 are shown, side by side, for better understanding,

the'curved rails or cams 88 and 89, although in reality they overlie each other.

Before the roller leaves the cam 88, roller of thetilting bag seat engages stationary guide cam 89. It is pressed inwardly to turn the tiling bag seat about the pivot 31 to the position shownat the right in FIG. 1.

The bag 78 sliding from the tilting seat 32 falls with one of its narrower sides onto a conveyor belt 90 and by further turning of guide-plate 33 is tipped over onto one of its broader sides. I

As long as the valve bag has not yet reached its filled weight, the carriage 19 and rollers 30 and 35 are in their upper position. Thus, the rollers do not, when the carrier passes the cam guides 88 and 89, come in contact with these guides so that neither the holder 29 northe tilting seat 32 is released.

Thus, the incompletely filled bag will not be thrown off but joins in a further turn of the hopper and is, during this time, filled up to the desired weight. 1

Scattered filler material falling onto the plate 68 is scraped by a slantingly positioned plate 91 into the fun nel 92. p n

This invention provides for the first time a rotating packing machine with mechanical conveyor means whose I hourly packing capacity per filler nozzle has been concontent in the filling material has been greatly diminished.

It will be noted that as the machine rotates the filling of bags progresses and only those .bags which are properly and completely filled are lowered to the position where the tilting seat is operated and will be ejected to conveyor 90. The remaining bags continue their course until properly filled.

The invention is not limited to the specific embodiment described but comprises all constructions within the scope I of the following patent claims.

What is claimed is: Y

- 1. A packing machine for filling granular or powdered material into valve bags comprising a rotary hopper to contain the filling material, a plurality of bag carriers mounted on the periphery of the hopper for rotation therewith, an outlet from said hopper positioned at each carrier and adapted for pouring such filling material into the bags, an impeller means within the hopper adjacent each outlet for force feeding of the material to the outlets, a valve at each said outlet, said valve comprising a closure member movable axially of said hopper between the open position and the closed position for the opening and closing of the valve, valve guide means mounted below said hopper for guiding movement of the valve to maintain said movement axial of the hopper, and a weighing means mounted above said carriers and actuated thereby to close said valve.

' 2. A packing machine as is set forth in claim 1, wherein the valve mounting means includes an arm depending from the said closure member of the valve, a second arm depending from the hopper and two spaced crossarms ea'ch pivoted-to said first and second arms for the guiding of the axial movement of the closure member.

3. A packing machine as set forth in claim 1, and comprising dust removal ducts adjacent said outlets, and a dust separator mounted centrally below said hopper and communicating with said ducts.

4. A packing machine as set forth in claim 1, and comprising a dust separator mounted centrally below said hopper, a dust removal duct for each outlet having one end thereof disposed adjacent its outlet and the other end thereof communicating with the dust separator, said dust separator having a conical upper wall, a collector at the outer edge of said wall and a stationary scraper to divert material collected on said wall to said collector.

5. A packing machine as set forth in claim 1 in which said carriers are provided with bag seats weight operated to lower and pivoted to tilt outward before ejecting such bags.

6, A packing machine as set forth in claim 5 in which 1 cam means is provided to tilt said seats into their lower position.

riers adapted to pour such filling material into the bags,

a valve at each said outlet, weighing means mounted above said carriers for rotation with the hopper, and for actuation by the carriers to close said valves, dust removal ducts adjacent said outlets mounted for rotation with the hopper, a dust separator mounted centrally below said hopper and connected with said ducts, having a conical upper wall also mounted for rotation with the hopper, a stationary collector at the outer edge of said wall and a stationary scraper to divert to material collected on said wall to said collector.

9. A packing machine for filling granular or powdered material into valve'bags comprising a hopper to contain such material, laterally extending members substantially at the top of said hopper, supporting bearings for said members to permit rotation of said hopper, said hopper having branch filling funnels extending downward and outward, ba'g filling stations arranged at the ends of said funnels, a carriers suspended at each said station and having a tilting seat for a bag, weighing scale beams on said members, rods connecting said beams to and supporting said carriers for raising and lowering, counterbalancing weights for said scale beams, outlets for said funnels, a carrier suspended at each said station and each outlet for force feeding of the material to the outlets, andvalves for said outlets actuated by said rods to open and close as said carriers rise and lower said valve comprising a closure member movable axially of said hopper between the open poistion and the closed position for the opening and the closing of the valve, valve guide means mounted below said hopper for guiding movement of the valve to maintain said movement axial of the hopper. 1

10. A packing machine for filling granular or powdered material into valve bags comprising a hopper to contain such material, laterally extending members substantially at the top of said hopper, supporting bearings for said members to permit rotation of said hopper, said hopper having branch filling funnels extending downward and outward, bag filling stations arranged at the ends of said funnels, a bag carrier suspended at each such station and haivng a tilting seat for a bag, weighing scale beams on said members, rods connecting said beams and supporting said carriers for raising and lowering, counter-balancing weights for said scales, outlets for said funnels, an impeller means within the hopper adjacent each outlet for force feeding of the material to the outlets, valves for said outlets actuated by said rods to open and close as said carriers rise and lower said valve comprising a closure member movable axially of said hopper between the open position and the closed position for the opening and the closing of the valve, valve end thereof communicating with the dust'separator, said dust separator having a conical upper wall, a collector at the outerjedge of said wall and a stationary scraper .to divert material collected on said wall tojsaid collector.

References Cited in the file ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 315,729 Clawson .'Apr. 14, 1885 655,322 Bates Aug. 7, 1900 1,748,111 Cornell Jan., 21, 1928 1,818,091 Peterson Aug. 11, 1931 1,903,188 Middelboe Mar. 28, 1933 2,009,408 Middelboe July-30, 1935 2,039,257 1 Middelboe Apr. 28, 1936 2,202,655. Haver May 28, 1940 2,317,865 Talbot Apr. 27, 1943 2,763,109 Baker Sept. 18, 1956 2,939,494 Haver June 7, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 527,407 France July 25, 1921 784,028 France .Apr. 23, 1925 62,463 Denmark June 26, 1944 1,037,949 1958 Germany Aug. 28,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTION Patent No 3 l38 2l7 June 23 1964 Wilhelm Bahr et a1 It is hereby certified, that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below Column 4 line 15 for "horibontally" read horizontall column 7 line 7 for "a carrier suspended at each said station and" read an impeller means within the hopper adjacent line 25 for "haivng" read having Signed and sealed this 27th day of October 1964.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER' v EDWARD J. BRENNEE Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 138317 June 23 1964 Wilhelm Bahr et al.

It is hereby certified, that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column line l5 for "horibontally" read horizontall column 7 line 7 for "a carrier suspended at each said station and" read an impeller means within the hopper adjacent line 25,, for "haivng" read having Signed and sealed this 27th day of October 1964,

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER v EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer I Commissioner of Patents 

8. A PACKING MACHINE FOR FILLING GRANULAR OR POWDERED MATERIAL INTO VALVE BAGS COMPRISING A ROTARY HOPPER TO CONTAIN THE FILLING MATERIAL, A PLURALITY OF BAG CARRIERS MOUNTED ON THE PERIPHERY OF THE HOPPER FOR ROTATION THEREWITH, OUTLETS FOR SAID HOPPER POSITIONED AT SAID CARRIERS ADAPTED TO POUR SUCH FILLING MATERIAL INTO THE BAGS, A VALVE AT EACH SAID OUTLET, WEIGHING MEANS MOUNTED ABOVE SAID CARRIERS FOR ROTATION WITH THE HOPPER, AND FOR ACTUATION BY THE CARRIERS TO CLOSE SAID VALVES, DUST 